This long list is expected to get longer with new hotels slated for opening in Johor in the coming years.

The new additions will include the Amari, Ramada Encore Meridin and Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast.

One of the rooms in the five-star Renaissance Johor Baru Hotel.

There will also be a new big name 296-room four-star hotel that will be opened next to the Paradigm Mall Johor Baru.

Johor Chapter for the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) chairman Ivan Teo, who is also the general manager of Ponderosa Golf and Country Club, said hotels in Johor enjoyed brisk business due to their proximity to Singapore and the steady influx of Malaysian and foreign travellers who came to Johor for business and pleasure.

Teo also said the association was evolving as hotels were now open to partnerships with a plethora of companies, agencies and entities to create more buzz in Johor’s tourism industry.

Citing an example, Teo said some of MAH members in Johor partnered transport operators such as the company behind Causeway Link buses, government agencies and non-governmental organisations as well as educational institutions in their effort to bring in more tourist revenue.

However, he said hoteliers in Johor faced similar challenges as in other tourism destinations in Malaysia.

Among the hot topics being discussed by hoteliers in Johor is the announcement of the new tourism tax following the passing of the Tourism Tax Bill in parliament on April 6.

“The association members support the newly imposed tourism tax but appealed for locals to be exempted. We have no issue with foreigners being taxed as they can well afford it.

“Malaysia offers one of the lowest hotel rates so the association supports the tax initiative. However, locals should be exempted from the tax,” he said.

Citing an example, Teo said companies which planned to send their staff overseas for training had to downgrade the hotel stay for their staff due to the tourism tax.

“This is sad because the safety of the staff should be a priority. Locals are already subject to the Goods and Service Tax, so the Tourism Tax will be a burden to them,” he added.

Johor Tourism, Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said last year that Johor was in need of more hotels due to the rapid growth in tourism, industries and other sectors in the state.

He said there had been 105 hotels in Johor as of April last year, of which 61 hotels, or 58 per cent, were located in Johor Baru.